Pitlochry Festival Theatre has announced its reopening plans for this summer after facing significant challenges due to Covid-19.
In its 70th anniversary year, the theatre will welcome audiences to its new outdoor amphitheatre from June with showings of David Greig’s ‘Adventures with the Painted People’.
This year’s season will also celebrate live music through a series of events featuring operas and musicals.
Meanwhile, it will dedicate an evening to the work of Mozart and Agatha Christie.
In-person events
Artistic Director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre Elizabeth Newman said organisers “can’t wait” to bring people together again.
“It has been a challenging year for everyone in Scotland,” she said.
“We’ve done many, many online events, performances, creative partnerships and, of course, been keeping in touch with lots of people.
“However, we know our amazing audiences have missed being in-person and experiencing live theatre ‘in-the-flesh’.
“We have said we would be back in person and, although we couldn’t produce the Summer Season as previously planned, I feel extraordinarily excited to share this Outdoor Summer Season with audiences, especially for our big birthday.”
She added: “I hope it channels the same unstoppable spirit that first made Pitlochry Festival Theatre extraordinary 70 years ago when John Stewart first put up the Theatre-tent.”
Audience safety
Theatre bosses say numerous procedures will be in place to ensure the safety of the audience throughout the season.
Government coronavirus guidelines and regulations will be followed, with sanitiser stations placed throughout and a reduced capacity with social distancing.
Despite ongoing Covid-19 challenges, the theatre is looking forward to welcoming audiences back in person.
Ms Newman said: “I am excited to share the programme as it’s filled with lots of Scottish dramas, classics, joyful entertainment, music, and family fun.
“We can’t wait to bring people together to celebrate our beautiful Perthshire landscape, celebrate Scottish Talent, art, and theatre, and of course a sense of coming together after such a long period of being apart.
“We want to assure everyone, everything we do will follow Government guidelines and recommendations.”
Redundancies
The past year has resulted in significant difficulties financially for Pitlochry Festival Theatre and it was forced to make half of its staff redundant in June last year due to furlough changes.
Almost half of its 98 staff were made redundant after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the government would taper off its Job Protection Scheme from the August.
